SpeedPoets rolls back into Brew (Lower Burnett Lane, Brisbane City) for the first time in its new timeslot for 2012 – the first Saturday of the month. And to celebrate the new year, they are welcoming back one of their favourite sons, mr oCean, who has spent the last few years in Berlin immersing himself in all things poetry and music. Featuring alongside mr oCean will be Victorian poet and recent winner of the Wenlock Festival Poetry Prize, Ross Donlon.
As always there will be free zines, raffles, the roaring guitar of Sheish Money and Brisbane’s hottest Open Mic Section. And this year, the Open Mic Section will light up with the introduction of the Call Back Poet section. The Call Back Poet will be selected by the monthly features and given the opportunity to perform a mini-feature to close the event (3-4 poems) as well as win the right to perform at the last gig of 2012 and be in the running for cash prizes and the title SpeedPoets Open Mic Champion for 2012. So instead of just packing a couple of poems in your pocket, make sure you come prepared… you may just be Called Back!
Date: Saturday March 3
Location: Brew (Lower Burnett Lane, Brisbane City)
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Entry: Gold Coin Donation
Here’s a poem from each of our feature poets to build the excitement…
Schneeliebe (another reprise)
This swirling galaxy of feathers
Falling slow from dark grey sky
Is not really falling:
We are rising.
We delight in the wonder of physics –
This geometric joy warming us
Even as our fingers freeze –
In the same way we look to the stars,
Knowing, understanding to our every atom
That this – all these perfect patterns –
Is what makes us possible:
We delight, because in the snow and stars
We see what we are made of
And know that it is good to be alive.
© mr oCean
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A Celebration of Something
It was amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
The opening ceremony was amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
Individuals were amazing, fantastic unbelievable.
Teamwork was amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
Organisation was amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
Men, women and children performed to the utmost of their ability and all were amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
Household names shone like whitegoods - amazing fantastic, unbelievable.
Celebrities glittered like gods – amazing, fantastic, unbelievable -
although someone spotted someone’s someone doing something they shouldn’t with someone else. They were boiled alive next day in the tabloids. Amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
The webs of social network followed us around like kites. Amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
Corporate boxes, logos, models, hospitality pavilions and the little promotional animals were all amazing, fantastic, unbelievable.
Drug abuse and corruption were amazing fantastic unbelievable.
From the Eye in the Sky, the streamers, balloons and confetti appeared like lines and dots from a cave painting representing, perhaps, a symbol of continuity or a spirit being with long hair.
At the conclusion of each performance, competitors stood, held totems and gifts, received adulation and raised their arms to the sky
Sometimes the sky was blue and the sun shone brightly. Sometimes the sky was grey.
There was also cloud, rain and wind.
In some parts of Australia the sun, cloud, rain and wind were present in areas where the event did not exist.
In some high rise apartment buildings, mid density or outer suburban dwellings, country towns, hamlets or outback rural communities there were those for whom the event did not exist.
Slowly warming, the earth continued to spin through space.
Sometimes it was in darkness, laced only by the reflected light of the moon and stars.
At other times it glowed in its orbit around the sun.
Gold. Gold. Gold.
Amazing. Fantastic. Unbelievable.
© Ross Donlon
